[Info-vax] VSI Basic

[John Reagan]

On Wednesday, March 1, 2023 at 1:14:45 PM UTC-5, Simon Clubley wrote:
> On 2023-03-01, Rich Jordan <jor... at ccs4vms.com> wrote: 
> > On Wednesday, March 1, 2023 at 10:09:23 AM UTC-6, Bob Gezelter wrote: 
> >> From a recent email: 
> >> 
> >> "VMS Software Inc. is pleased to announce availability of a test release of a Fortran compiler for OpenVMS x86. The code is based on VSI Fortran on OpenVMS I64 for source compatibility." 
> >> 
> >> The message contained a link to the Release Notes, but the URL does not paste well. 
> >> 
> >> - Bob Gezelter, http://www.rlgsc.com 
> > 
> > Good news indeed! But our last Fortran customer departed some years ago. 
> > 
> > Basic is what we're waiting for. 
> >
> Given that it's already March 2023, my guess is that Basic will come out 
> in time for the 10th anniversary of the VMS porting effort. :-) 
> 
> On a more serious note, I wonder how much income VSI get from Basic ? 
> 
> If John finds a core problem that can't be easily fixed, is there a 
> point at which VSI could say that the expenditure on VMS Basic is 
> going to be greater than the income from it and hence drop it ? 
> 
> Of the mainstream languages available for x86-64 VMS, Basic would appear 
> to be the one with the smallest market share, and don't forget that VSI 
> have already decided not to proceed with Ada for x86-64 VMS. 
> 
> Simon. 
> 
> -- 
> Simon Clubley, clubley at remove_me.eisner.decus.org-Earth.UFP 
> Walking destinations on a map are further away than they appear.
Don't blow the BASIC issue out of proportion.  It is just that the BASIC frontend
generates GEM symbol table that look "different" than everybody else.  I
just haven't had the time (or desire) to change how G2L has to operate.  I'd
rather change the BASIC frontend.  I have other things to do first.  It is not
a multiple person-year task.  We have all the real HARD pieces of BASIC already
working.